Chocolate Cherry Chia Seed Pudding

I love chia seeds for how versatile, nutritious and detoxifying they are, and this chia seed pudding is all of those things.

How do you get pudding out of seeds, you ask? Once in liquid, chia seeds absorb the liquid, puff up and create a gelatinous texture. In layman’s terms, chia seeds do that in your body too–make you feel satisfied quickly by puffing up in your stomach and pull out toxins as they’re digested.

The pudding also makes for a great vehicle for other flavors or super foods. The chocolate cherry is one of my favorites because it feels indulgent but also light and cleansing. I usually eat it for breakfast (because who doesn’t want to start off the day detoxing?), but I’ve also been known to add frozen cherries instead of fresh ones for dessert–this makes the chia seed pudding a little frostier and feels like healthier shaved ice or ice cream.

This is a recipe that can be easily altered, so get creative and put in what you’re craving. Here’s mine:

Chocolate Cherry Chia Seed Pudding

½ cup unsweetened chocolate or vanilla almond milk

¼ cup chia seeds

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cocoa powder

⅓ cup dark cherries

2 tbsp cocoa nibs

Combine and stir the almond milk, chia seeds, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Let sit for a few minutes, stirring occasionally so the chia seeds don’t congeal in one clump. (No one wants clumpy pudding.) Stir in the cherries and half the cocoa nibs.

Refrigerate anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours to let the pudding set.

Top with the remaining cocoa nibs and a couple extra cherries to garnish. (You eat with your eyes too, people.)

Enjoy!

Ingredient highlights…

Chia seeds are detoxifying, anti inflammatory and high in omega-3s. While they’re actually classified as a grain, these little seeds are packed with protein. In Traditional Chinese Medicine they’re also known to reduce anxiety and tendency toward depression.

Cinnamon is an anti inflammatory spice that’s also warming to the body. (Perfect to balance a meal like this that’s cooler in nature.)

Cocoa promotes circulation and is high in antioxidants. It also satisfies the bitter flavor that we rarely get in western food.

Cherries are also high in antioxidants and super hydrating. Their anti inflammatory properties are specifically great for arthritis.